When implementing a visual communication strategy, the floors shouldn’t be overlooked! Using floor tape to line different areas of the facility can help people navigate, mark off hazards, and improve the workplace’s organization efforts.

Painted or taped lines are often associated with safety. They can be used where vehicles and workers are traveling to create lanes similar to a road. Separate lanes for pedestrian paths, forklift lanes, and equipment paths, can keep people moving around the facility safely.

Line marking is also very useful for marking work areas like staging areas, as well as locations for pallets, raw materials, finished goods, shipping, and other static locations. By marking the boundaries of these areas, you’ll make it easier for workers to know where things need to be and both employees and visitors will be able to make sense of an otherwise open space.

The safety manager or warehouse manager will need to decide the type of line marking is best for their facility, tape or paint? Industrial floor tapes are preferred to painted lines as they are more resistant to foot and forklift traffic and don’t require long dry times. They are also easy to clean and require little upkeep.

These tapes also come in many colors and sizes so you can create a marking system that makes sense for your facility. A color-coding system for floor tapes can help convey important messages with just a color. Yellow tape for instance, can be used strictly for traffic control and red floor tape may be used to designate where workers should store defective products or scrap items. There is even photoluminescent tape that charges under a light, absorbing the radiation. In the unexpected event of a power outage, the tape glows brightly and can be used to direct workers to an emergency exit.

Often, companies also use thinner vinyl tapes (0.25” to 2” width) of different colors to mark workbenches and work cells. These tapes can create visual cues or indicate the locations of tools/equipment that shouldn’t move. This helps keep work areas clear of clutter and keeps these static items in their optimal positions.

In addition to industrial floor marking tapes, it can be particularly effective for facilities to look into utilizing floor signs and floor shapes to create a comprehensive strategy. These techniques can be used for work cells of any kind. They will improve workflow and result in improved productivity. Additionally, misplaced items and equipment are easy to spot.